Saturday, February 16, 2013

Eger, Hungary

I was woken up on the overnight train around 7:30 in the morning when one of the attendants brought me my rail pass. I finally reached the station in Budapest around 8:45. Once off the train, I had to find the nearest departure board to determine from which platform the 9:05 departure to Eger would be leaving from. The board listed the train as leaving 10 minutes earlier, so I ran to the train as I thought I only had a few minutes. However, when I approached the train I realized that it was still leaving at 9:05, so thankfully I had several extra minutes to spare.

The train ride to Eger took about two hours. From the tiny train station, I took a taxi into the center of town as I didn’t feel like walking the 20 minutes with my own two feet. I checked into my hotel, Offi Haz which was located in the picturesque and quaint Little Dobo Square. My room was located on the third floor of the building in a decently sized room that contained an internet cable and a small refrigerator.

My room at Offi Haz in Eger.

Offi Haz in Eger.

After dropping my bags off and freshening up from the long train ride, I walked into town. I was thoroughly impressed with the small town of Eger; the city was filled with beautifully preserved baroque architecture, clean streets, and many different types of cafes and restaurants to choose from.

Statue in Eger.

Eger

Eger

Eger

Eger

I stopped in for a quick lunch of a sandwich and a slice of cake at a place called Radi Bisztro. My meal cost about $3 for both items!

Cake from Radi Bisztro in Eger.

My first stop of the day was at the Lyceum, which is a university that was built in the mid-18th century and is still in use today, with current enrollment around 2000 students. The school is best known for its 20,000 volume library and the Astronomical Museum, which contains the famous camera obscura. Within the museum, I visited an interactive exhibit that allowed visitors to try out several different scientific experiments such as using air pressure to make a small ball levitate. Afterward, I walked up several flights of stairs to the outdoor terrace which provided panoramic views of the entire city of Eger and its beautiful surroundings. Next, I walked up the final flight of stairs to the darkroom containing the camera obscura. It's difficult for me to explain how this piece of equipment worked (you might want to Google it) but basically, a guide moved several levers around in the room, which would then project live images from the streets of Eger on a large table in the middle of the room. It was quite fascinating and interesting to watch, but I wondered what people would have thought of the apparatus over 200 years ago when it was first created. It probably seemed unreal and maybe even like magic to some!

Lyceum in Eger.

Lyceum in Eger.

Lyceum in Eger.

Lyceum in Eger.

View of Eger Cathedral from the Lyceum in Eger.

View of Eger from the outdoor terrace at the Lyceum.

View of Eger from the outdoor terrace at the Lyceum.

View of Eger from the outdoor terrace at the Lyceum.

View of Eger Cathedral from the Lyceum in Eger.

View of Eger from the outdoor terrace at the Lyceum.

After leaving the Lyceum, I walked across the street to the brightly yellow painted Eger Cathedral, which is the second biggest church within Hungary. The church was completed in 1836 and features a neoclassical exterior with a beautiful and colorful baroque interior including gorgeous ceiling frescoes.

Eger Cathedral

Eger Cathedral

Eger Cathedral

Eger Cathedral

Eger Cathedral

Eger Cathedral

Eger Cathedral

From the church, I walked back to Dobo Square, stopping at the Minorite Church which had a striking Baroque exterior (probably one of the most stunning churches I have seen) but just an average interior, especially when compared to the Eger Cathedral.

Eger

View of the Minorite Church in Eger.

Minorite Church in Eger.

Minorite Church in Eger.

Minorite Church in Eger.

Minorite Church in Eger.

Minorite Church in Eger.

Minorite Church in Eger.

Minorite Church in Eger.

Minorite Church in Eger.

While in Dobo Square, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had happened upon some sort of festival with dozens of locals dressed up in traditional clothing dancing to Hungarian music.

Dancing in Dobo Square in Eger.

Dancing in Dobo Square in Eger.

Dancing in Dobo Square in Eger.

Dobo Square in Eger.

Dobo Square in Eger.

Afterward, I walked uphill towards Eger Castle, passing by many beautiful buildings that lined the streets of Eger. The castle complex overlooks the city of Eger, granting beautiful views from many points along the ramparts. I only paid for entrance to the grounds of the castle as none of the four museums within the property sounded interesting to me.

Eger

Eger

Eger

Eger Castle

Eger Castle

View from Eger Castle.

View from Eger Castle.

Hungarian flag at Eger Castle.

Eger Castle

From the castle, I walked back down into the city, this time heading to the Minaret, which was originally part of a mosque. For only a little over $1, I decided to climb the 97 steps within the narrow structure to the top. As soon as my feet hit the slippery steps, I knew that this wasn’t the best activity to be partaking in, especially with my flats which provided absolutely no grip. As I walked up, I saw that two of the interior lights were out which made for good times trying to climb in the pitch black. When I reached the top, I instantly felt vertigo set in and found myself having difficulty looking down. Climbing back down those steps was almost as much fun as climbing up (NOT!). I took each step one at a time, gripping as hard as I could to the step above my head and wrapping my right hand around the minaret’s central pole. I was glad to make it safe out of that building!

Eger

Eger

Eger's Minaret

View from Eger's Minaret.

View from Eger's Minaret.

View from Eger's Minaret.

View from Eger's Minaret.

View from Eger's Minaret.

I then walked to the nearby market hall which is home to the town’s large indoor market. Unfortunately, I did not realize that the market closed earlier on Saturday so I wasn't able to go inside.

I walked back to my hotel and ended up eating dinner at the restaurant situated below the hotel overlooking Dobo Square. I ordered a pork tenderloin dish with potatoes. For dessert, I requested profiteroles (cream filled pastry with chocolate on top). Throughout my meal I was rewarded with a beautiful view of Minorite Church in Dobo Square.

Minorite Church in Eger.

Pork Tenderloin Dish.

Profiteroles for dessert.

After dinner, I had a taxi drive me a few minutes outside of town to the Sirens’ Valley (also known as the Valley of the Beautiful Women) which was an area devoted to local wine cellars. After being dropped off, I was surprised to see how large the complex was; there were over 40 different wine cellars, so it was difficult to choose which cellars I should visit. I selected two to go into (#2 and #43) and chose glasses of white wine to sample. A glass of wine on average cost only 50 cents!

Wine cellars at Sirens' Valley near Eger.

Wine cellars at Sirens' Valley near Eger.

Wine cellar at Sirens' Valley near Eger.

I also walked around the complex and listened to music for a bit while some young people dressed in traditional costumes danced to the music. I really enjoyed watching all of the locals interact with one another; I swear that I had to have been the only English speaking tourist there. In fact, during my entire stay in Eger, I did not encounter any English speaking tourists. It was such a nice reprieve from the tourist clogged streets of Prague and Krakow. Eger was a wonderfully unique and authentic Hungarian town. Without a doubt, it is now one of my favorite small towns in Europe.

Traditional Hungarian dancing at the wine cellars at Sirens' Valley near Eger.

Traditional Hungarian dancing at the wine cellars at Sirens' Valley near Eger.

Traditional Hungarian dancing at the wine cellars at Sirens' Valley near Eger.

2 comments:

Eger had been completely off of my radar until I read about it in one of Rick Steve's guidebooks. He mentioned that it was one of the best small towns to visit in Hungary and was a great way to break up the journey between Krakow and Budapest. I am glad I listened to his advice! :-)

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About Me

I am an avid traveler, amateur photographer, and self-proclaimed foodie whose biggest passion in life involves discovering new places, people, and food. Long ago, I decided to make travel the most important priority in my life.
Traveling has altered my life in more ways than I will ever be able to describe. One of the biggest and most important things traveling has done to me is immensely change the way I measure quality of life. Travel has also broadened my perspectives and helped me realize that not everyone has the so-called “American Dream” and that having less things in life can actually make you a happier and more fulfilled human being. Through my travels I have gained a huge appreciation for cultural, political, and religious differences and diversity.
This blog will allow me to document all of my amazing travels, life-changing experiences, delicious food, and the interesting interactions I encounter as I travel through this very beautiful and diverse world.